The media emphasizes things they wish us to believe are crisis, while gaslighting us about the worthiness of
On Cultural Courage Later Today:
Do We No Longer Recognize Leadership and Stewardship?
Camp4All
All teens struggle with uncertainty, but is this the age where they should be introduced to a lifestyle for adults. At such an early age it surely invites more confusion. Allowing age 10 children in such an environment is very questionable. A 10 year old is open to many influences.
The vivid memory was from Camp 4 All, a summer camp for LGBTQ+ young people ages 10 to 18. This summer, the camp will hit the trails, renting campsites in Michigan and Ohio.
In the thick of the woods, young LGBTQ+ people in the camp find temporary refuge from stigma, bullying and discrimination. Nile remembers hopping on a bus as a teen in Ferndale and heading up north to the camp. The journey was tough and a test of their independence.
“I always have been very, like, socially anxious as a kid,” they said. “Doing things by myself has always been hard.”
The problem here is who is supervising the staff who has access to minors in isolation. While temporary acceptance may be found in this setting, if this is away from parental guidance then the risks are extremely high.
“It’s hard for them at school a lot of the time,” said Gigi Hickey, a 25-year-old staffer who identifies as trans, during an April interview. Hickey is in charge of scheduling at Camp 4 All. “But in the summer, that’s when you tend to be more isolated.”
Sole focus on sexual identity does not result in a whole, healthy adult. Sexuality is one of the many facets of life, but by making it the primary basis of one’s being eliminates other potential. How have we forgotten that at 14 the rate of change in a youth’s body brings out so many conflicting emotions, but once maturity is reached, many of these emotions are no longer prominent.
The camp has hosted queer trivia nights on LGBTQ+ historical events like the Stonewall Uprising and a drag show starring a professional performer, events that can foster intergenerational connections.
Growing up, Nile had adult role models who were kind and accepting but didn’t have ones who shared the same identity. At camp, Nile recalled the queer and trans counselors were always caring and sensitive, always speaking their mind. One counselor had started taking hormones and gotten top surgery. All of them inspired Nile. “It was the first time that I really got to see, in person, the kind of person that I wanted to be,” they said.
Rutgers Hires Prof who wanted Trump Assassinated – Bill Ayers Would Be Proud
Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dorn were leaders of the radical group The Weathermen. They were responsible for bombing
Rutgers University has hired Tracy Budd who previously expressed a desire for violence against former President Trump, stating she hoped a shooting would inspire others. This controversial statement was made in 2020 during a social media post that drew significant backlash.
Budd, who will be teaching this fall, has sparked debates about academic freedom and the appropriateness of such views in educational settings. The university has defended its decision, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in academia.
Critics argue that hiring someone with such extreme views undermines the educational environment, while supporters believe it is essential to allow open discourse, even on contentious topics.
Budd’s Facebook is now deleted, but her cover picture contained a poster at a protest that read: “Capitalism will kill us all. Gender is fake. Eat garbage. Be free.”
Budd is also the editor of Dialogues@RU, an undergraduate research journal, “which teaches students the crucial skills of critical reading and thinking, scholarly research, synthesis, and analytic writing across the disciplines.”
Secretary of State Benson To Adopt Election Rules Prior To Authorization In 2024
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is facing criticism for attempting to implement new election rules before their legal effective date, which is set for next year, following the passage of Senate Bill 603. Critics, including the Republican National Committee, argue that these rules could undermine election integrity and limit recount opportunities.
The bill’s effective date is 91 days after the final adjournment of the 2024 regular session. Because the legislative session is still ongoing, the bill will not go into effect until well beyond the November election. Nonetheless, confident of the bill’s passage and eager to expedite implementation, Benson’s office already had a first set of rules relating to the conduct of election recounts in the can and ready for public comment before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer even signed SB 603 into law on July 8.
The new rules, which have already received approval from the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, centralize election power and have raised concerns among election integrity advocates about their potential impact on fair elections. Neither Republicans on the Board voiced a concernm nor have the responded to questions.
The board, composed of two Republicans and two Democrats appointed by Gov. Whitmer, gave the green light to Benson’s rules within two weeks of the bill being signed into law. Neither of the Republicans, Richard Houskamp and Anthony Daunt, responded to a request for comment regarding the approval of the rules.
Benson’s history of legal challenges and alleged administrative overreach has intensified scrutiny, with past lawsuits revealing a pattern of implementing rules that courts later strike down. The RNC is prepared to take legal action to prevent the adoption of these rules before the upcoming November election.
According the former state senator Patrick Colbeck, who submitted 126 revisions in response to a public hearing, no guidance is given regarding the maintenance of user account or computer security.
According to state representative Anne Bollin the rules are a side-step to normal procedure.
The proposed rules sidestep the existing law, forcing clerks into a position where they must choose between following current legal requirements or adhering to your new guidelines. This is an unfair and untenable situation, especially with a major election on the horizon. Clerks should not be placed in a position where they must second-guess the law they are sworn to follow.”
Noting that she served 16 years as a township clerk, Bollin noted: “I know firsthand the challenges our local clerks face. It is vital that the Bureau of Elections supports clerks by providing clear, lawful, and consistent guidance. Introducing rules that are at odds with established only serves to create chaos and confusion. These officials are already managing an overwhelming workload, and adding contradictory rules into the mix is both impractical and irresponsible.”
Murphy ultimately paid $100 to the state and another $100 to the county as a reimbursement in order to settle the matter in 2019.
Violating Election Law, But Only When Certain People Do It?
The Michigan Bureau of Elections is investigating complaints against Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy for allegedly violating campaign finance laws during a Trump campaign event held at the sheriff’s office. The event, which featured Trump speaking in a garage surrounded by sheriff’s vehicles, has raised questions about the use of public resources for political purposes.
Murphy defended the event as a “press conference” rather than a political gathering, despite the involvement of Trump’s campaign and the presence of multiple sheriffs. The Michigan Campaign Finance Act prohibits public bodies from using government resources to support political candidates, which is central to the investigation.
This is not Murphy’s first encounter with campaign finance scrutiny; he previously faced penalties for using public resources in a campaign video for a gubernatorial candidate in 2018. The outcome of the current investigation remains pending as the Bureau of Elections continues to gather information.
Mosquitos? How about ticks?
Health officials have a knack for getting us to focus on the wrong things. Given our insane reaction to Covid and the unbridled display of avarice by the state agencies, each
Washtenaw County officials are urging residents to take precautions against mosquito and tick bites after the detection of West Nile virus in local mosquitoes. The Health Department emphasizes the importance of preventive measures as Lyme disease cases have surged, with 133 reported in 2023 compared to just five in 2020. Many communities have adopted “No-Mow May” and with blades of grass at 8 inches or higher, ticks reside. Given that we do cull the deer population, ticks are more likely.
Residents are advised to be vigilant when spending time outdoors, particularly in areas where ticks are prevalent. The Health Department is actively monitoring local mosquito populations and conducting tick identification efforts to assess disease risks in the community.
Despite the recent findings of West Nile virus, there have been no human cases reported in the county since 2018, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and public awareness regarding vector-borne diseases.
Here is the issue: Lyme Disease has been IGNORED. Lyme Carditis goes undiagnosed because it is assumed a person had merely died from a heart attack. Many times the symptoms go ignored by doctors, and after 30 days irreparable damage sets in. Lyme can be treated easily with doxycline, a mild antibiotic. After 30 days, Lyme Disease will lie dormant in the spine and will emerge periodically, destroying tissue and nerves. This woman below was finally attended to when she had a standing heart rate of 30. By then there was so much damage a pacemaker was required to regulate her heart beat. In the end, a heart transplant was required.
https://www.today.com/health/young-mom-had-heart-transplant-after-lyme-disease-t171329
Her primary care group’s response came as a shock. She said they didn’t believe her heart rate could be so low, questioned her mental health and treated her like a “stupid woman.”
“They said, ‘You’re depressed,’” she recalled. “They wanted to give me an SSRI or Celexa.”
As a pharmacist, Robbins knew a possible side effect of the meds could prolong the time her heart took to recharge between beats. In her state, she feared that would lead to sudden cardiac death and refused them.
Deconstructing the State’s Infrastructure
Consumer’s Energy is pawning of dams and reservoirs for $1. Some of these structures have been in operation for over 100 years, yet it escapes environmentalists a new eco system has arisen from the manmade dams. The calls to dismantle will subject regions to disruptive flow of rivers – this will destroy what has been in place for quite a while. While the media ignores the fact that regulation has interfered with operating profitably, there has been on efforts to compare solar to hydropower as solar would operate in our region.
As it considers the future of 13 hydropower dams that provide little electricity while operating at a $152 million annual net loss, one of Michigan’s largest utilities is considering selling them for as little as a dollar apiece.
Consumers once owned more than 90 hydropower dams across Michigan, but has been exiting the business for decades as ballooning maintenance costs, new regulations and competition from cheaper energy sources make hydropower unprofitable.
What about the invasive species they wanted to protect?
Decommissioning the dams would please river advocates, who loathe how they superheat rivers and destroy fish habitat. But it would anger the owners of lakefront properties created by the dams, and transform communities that have built their economies around fishing and boating tourism.
Residents will loose property values and business that have been built with the dams in place.
No dam, no Mesick
In the tiny village of Mesick, 20 miles northwest of Cadillac on the Manistee River, Charlie Maidens has his own fears about the future.
He oversees the Northern Exposure campground, which leases land from Consumers along the Hodenpyl Dam Pond.
The nonprofit campground is an economic engine for the 400-person community: Its 260 sites are booked solid on summer weekends, and campers buy food, drinks, fishing tackle and gasoline at local businesses.
The activism in this article is on clear display with supposition that private ownership guarantees dangerous operating conditions.
The Attorney General Dana Nessel sued to raise the levels of the Midland Dam in 2020, a flood occurred shortly thereafter. That is now not reported as a factor. The state was warned that raising levels would damage the dams.
Mueller “hates government, he hates paying taxes, and nothing makes him happier than when he can stick his finger in the eye of government,” said Joe Manelis, a longtime Sanford Lake homeowner who has clashed with Mueller over one of the dams on his lake.
Last week, after Boyce Hydro Power LLC, as well as prior owners, failed for decades to heed demands of federal regulators to increase flood capacity at the largest of the four dams, the Edenville Dam failed, sending billions of gallons downstream, destroying homes, property and prompting the evacuation of some 10,000 residents of Midland, Gladwin and Saginaw counties.
US Senate Race Involves Questions Around Gotion and CCP Deals
Why do our representatives need to sign Non Disclosure Agreements? Then refuse to discuss that have even signed? IF MEDC is the agency that will be distributing the funds and champions the projects, why isn’t the answer “I followed the protocol”. During standard bidding processes after proposals have been submitted, they then become public record.
The U.S. Senate race in Michigan has been marked by accusations and counteraccusations between Republican candidate Mike Rogers and Democratic candidate Elissa Slotkin regarding their alleged ties to Chinese interests, particularly related to the Gotion battery plant project in Mecosta County.
Rogers and other Republicans have criticized Slotkin for signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) related to potential economic development projects in her congressional district, claiming it helped a Chinese company, despite the NDA not specifically mentioning Gotion. Slotkin’s campaign has denied any wrongdoing and stated that she never signed an agreement related to Gotion or the Chinese government.
Meanwhile, Slotkin’s campaign and Democratic groups have accused Rogers of benefiting from Chinese interests through his post-congressional work in the telecommunications industry, alleging he helped Chinese tech companies gain access to the U.S. market. However, fact-checking organization PolitiFact has concluded that these claims are false.
The obligations with respect to the Development Project Information under this Agreement
shall not apply to any Development Project Information which: (i) is in the public domain (provided that
such information has not or does not come into the public domain as the result of a disclosure by the
Recipient); (ii) is received by the Recipient on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the
MEDC; (iii) is required to be disclosed by court order or by operation of law; or (iv) for which permission
to disclose has been granted by the MEDC.